The Shadow (1994)

Best movie of this year hands down!

As Good As It Gets

A Masterpiece!

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Half of me feels bad I barely paid attention to this second viewing after a two decade gap from my first time seeing it. The other half recognizes it was the movie's fault for not keeping my attention.YES, The Shadow debuted before Batman, but this film adaptation was an incredible rip-off of the Caped Crusader. Probably because of 1989 when the original Tim Burton comic book movie was launched, everyone wanted to capitalize on its success. Only, this took it a little too far. Even the setting was close to the same. The Shadow was set in the 1930s, which was when it initially debuted and though Burton's Batman was set in modern day, it did look 100% like the 1930s. I guess I could also say this was thoroughly like 1990's Dick Tracy (another comic-book to feed off the Dark Knight's Box Office) but it's been 16 years since I've seen that movie and the same year, 1990's Darkman. I have recently rewatched that one, and yeah, this also mimicked that movie. But, beyond the similarities, the movie and cast were just not interesting. Poor Alec Baldwin. I've always liked him. Despite all the background with his wives and real-life controversies, I've always liked him in his roles. Even here, he's trying. Real hard. But, maybe he didn't get it. 'It' being the character.Basically, a ruler with a black heart is turned around, trained and now fights crime in…the…Shadows…of NYC…eight decades ago. That's what I can remember. There has to be a bad guy…oh, some Genghis Khan descendant that The Shadow James Bonds with. Again, I was only half-paying attention. I saw this movie when it debuted in 1994 and didn't care for it much back then. Once the movie lost my undivided attention 15-20 minutes in this time around, I did other things while The Shadow mostly investigated and missed a bunch of stuff that went on around him (like someone falling to their death literally RIGHT BEHIND HIM.) The sets were actually pretty good – they did try as did the cast, but the overall movie was so bland, forgettable and probably only for die-hard The Shadow fans. And speaking of which, even in 1994, how many were still alive since the original broadcasts in the 1930s??***Final thoughts: Okay, there was a reason I barely paid attention. What I wrote above is all true, but the background is: I was rewatching this because the fantastic bad-movie podcast, How Did This Get Made?, covered this and I like to watch all of their movies before I listen to their show. Since I hadn't seen this in more than two decades, it was time to refresh my memory…even though the Shadow was already supposed to KNOW.

THE SHADOW is a lesson in getting it right. Alec Baldwin is spot on as tortured Kent Allard who assumes the name Lamont Cranston and The Alter Ego The Shadow .Walter Gibson's Shadow's never gave him an origin. So this film starts as a starting point and gives The Shadow one. And its masterfully done. Howard Chaykin a comic book artist and writer Did a comic book mini series in 1986 Which introduced some of the elements used here.The Year is 1927. Former American soldier Kent Allard has gone insane and seized control of a army of barbarians. And he has complete control of the opium trade making him wealthy. Ying Ko as he is called is ruthless. Slaughtering villages and raping the women and forcing the men to serve him. Then Ying Ko is kidnapped dragged before a Tibetan priest who has complete control of his mind. He tells Ying Ko that now is the time for redemption. he will be entered to serve as a soldier for justice. he will teach him how to fight crime and destroy evil using his mind. And clouding men's minds leaving behind one thing he cannot control His Shadow.Flash forward seven years later. Kent Allard has assumed the name Lamont Cranston. and dines every night with his Uncle The police commissioner Wainwright. And after that prowls the streets destroying crimes as the shadow. those he saves becomes agents of the Shadow. together they form a network dedicated to smashing crime. Then comes two people. One is the beautiful Margo Lane who matches the Shadow mind power for mind power. And she soon comes to realize Cranston is hiding a secret. The second is Shiwan Khan the last living relative of Genghis Khan His goal is to finish what his relative started. Conquering the world. but to do that he needs a powerful new weapon. and he needs to destroy the Shadow.With the faithful Margo Lane at his side and Moe his faithful driver. and his network of agents the Shadow goes to war against the most cunning foe he's ever met.The Writing is top notch. the cast is wonderful and the director captures the mod of the Shadow. as well of the mood of the 30s . The Shadow plays like a wonderful time machine taking you back. Back to when times were easier bad guys were bad guys and heroes were heroes . nothing complicated. With that said if you are a fan of the pulp heroes The Shadow is as perfect a movie as there ever could be. My sons watched it with me and enjoyed it. The Younger generation was thrilled by the Shadow just as all the other ones were.

It's after WWI Tibet. Lamont Cranston (Alec Baldwin) is a brutal opium drug-lord known as Ying-Ko. He is kidnapped by the men of holyman Tulku. Tulku teaches him to cloud men's minds except for his shadow. Seven years later, he is back in NYC as a vigilante crime fighter known as The Shadow. Shrevnitz (Peter Boyle) is his cab driving sidekick and police commissioner Wainwright Barth (Jonathan Winters) is his uncle. Cranston falls for socialite Margot Lane (Penelope Ann Miller) but her natural telepathic power threatens to reveal his secret. Her father Reinhardt Lane (Ian McKellen) is an atomic scientist working for the War Department. Shiwan Khan (John Lone), the last descendant of Genghis Khan, is another student of Tulku. He is even more powerful than Lamont. He has resisted the change to good and plans for world domination. He has accumulated a special metal and with a mind-controlled Reinhardt, he is building an atomic bomb.This has a lot of visual style of a comic book late 20s. It's well done with the Chinese motif. The style does overwhelm the movie a bit. I wonder if the movie needs some humor to balance out the darker tones. Baldwin has a couple of snappy lines. I think he could have done more along that line. Also he needs a funny sidekick. The movie is not serious enough to go all dark.

Exciting version of the popular comic books and broadcasting tale about the immortal crusader called ¨The Shadow¨ with very watchable FX and lots of fun . Several visual designs provide the highlights for those in the mood for a journey back to the radio past or a quick superhero adventure . As our stalwart hero , a billionaire playboy named Lamont Cranston (Alec Baldwin) is a master of illusion and defender of justice thanks to his alter ego . Aided by companion Margo Lane (Penelope Anne Miller) and a Cabman (Peter Boyle) he battles super-criminal named Shiwan Khan (John Lone) . He discovers his destiny and a old legacy as a superhero called The Shadow , the invisible man who walks , a seemingly relentless crime fighter . A mask and raincoat he finds himself battling his nemesis , the deadliest descendant of Ghengis Khan . He's helped by an attractive woman and both of whom travel to dangerous streets N.Y. to thwart a nasty criminal . Khan is a cold and megalomaniac killer who murders cruelty his victims, he wants to take a power to dominate the world , he is supported by a particular ally , a smarmy villain (Tim Curry) and his hoodlums . The hero and villain have equal powers , yet the heroine can be hypnotised by one and no other . The picture charges into a tale of a hero who turned from evil in Tibet and reemerged in New York City as a superhero holding extraordinary power to fight in that most wretched lair if iniquity . As in 30's New York City, the Shadow battles his enemy who is building an atomic bomb. But the caped crusader is trapped inside a locked chamber being helped by his girlfriend . The Shadow is shown in this highly stylized big screen adaptation of the 30's radio show , the once starred by Orson Welles . Film gets exotic locations , derring-do adventures ,rip roaring , action-packed , tongue in check , it's a cinematic roller coaster pretty entertaining and with well made set pieces action , including numerous and elaborate FX . This exciting picture provides splendid production design by Joseph Nemec , while done more dynamically elsewhere , are fun and outstanding . This is an ambitious fantasy adventure with breathtaking special effects ; it has some well-staged scenes whose effectiveness owes much to Russell Mulcahy's strong pictorial sense . Older kids , teenagers may find the proceedings a bit hokey and paying little attention to logic , but everyone seems to be having a good time . The picture is a crossover among comic-strip hero , superhero feats , Saturday matinée serials and old-fashioned thirties movies . As this runs like an old Republic serial of the thirties or Forties on a multi-million dollar budget . Its arresting visuals , lavish realization and crude energy put filmmaker Russell Mulcahy on the map . Much of the dialogue springs as if balloons from the printed page and the interpretation is appropriately rudimentary . The picture has great loads of action , special effects abundant , glamorous cinematography by Stephen Burum and spectacular Jerry Goldsmith's musical score , including an enjoyable leitmotif . The motion picture includes an interesting script by prestigious David Koepp and was rightly directed by Russell Mulcahy . Russell for some time worked in Britain as a filmmaker of video clips , but returned to his native country , Australia , to make his first fictional movie , ¨Razorback¨ . He was able to get the backing for what proved to be his greatest success ¨Highlander¨ . It led to two sequels , the first of which was realized by himself titled ¨Quickening¨ . He subsequently directed ¨Resurrection¨with Charlie Sheen and ¨Talos the mummy¨ , among others . Despite major stars and big budgets with which to work have not fulfilled their potential and he seemed less commanding with players than with action . The flick will appeal to adventure fans and comic-books enthusiastic . Rating : Good and amusing. Well worth seeing.